Tourism involves the temporary or permanent movement of people away from home to other place of interests either for leisure, pleasure, recreation, or research studies etc.
It involves visiting places of interest like wildlife, conservation areas, historical sites, museums, beaches etc. In developing countries tourism is the largest foreign currency earning sector of economy.
Tourism can be categorized as a territorial or service industry
TYPES OF TOURISM
Basically there are two types of tourism industry these are:-
1) Domestic tourism.
2) International tourism.
Domestic tourism
It involves people travelling to places within the country for example from dar-es-salaam to Mikumi or from Tabora to Serengeti national park
International tourism
It involves the movement of people moving from home countries to other countries for leisure or studies [research].
Factors that encourage the development of tourism in the country
Physical factors
1) Presence of good climatic conditions especially sunny conditions attract tourists from cooler countries during winter
2) Attractive landscape [scenery] due to physical features like mountains, craters, lakes, coastal beaches, canyons and deserts.
Social cultural factors
1) Presence of horizontal and architectural sites for example cities, churches, temples, palaces and pyramids.
2) Presence of conventional resorts like swimming places etc
3) Good social services like shopping centers, medication, good food and water supply and well trained stuff etc
4) Presence of national parks like Serengeti, yellow stone, Yosemite etc
Economic factors
1) Availability of capital to be invested in the tourism industry
2) Advancement in transport and communication for example air transport, road transport and railway and water as well as internet services these facilitate accessibility of different places of interest in the country.
Political factors
1) Peace in the country encourages the tourism development in the country since the tourists like visiting countries where there is peace like Tanzania in East Africa; they normally avoid the areas with political problems like civil wars.
2) Also the government policy can encourage the development of the tourism industry by financing or giving favorable conditions which are restrictive.
Importance of tourism
1) It provides employment for the people in hotels, guiding sections, game parks and travelling agents
2) It provides foreign currency to the country which is being visited
3) It can facilitate rapid improvement in technology related to the tourism industry
4) It provides opportunity for the recreation or enjoyment
5) It leads to the introduction of new culture
6) Strengthening the international relationship
7) It enables the marginal land to be used for economic development rather than staying idle for example national parks occupy these areas which were unproductive
8) It promotes international capability of a country for instance today Switzerland is well known for flourishing tourism industry and is known as “the play ground of Europe”
Why tourism has increased now days
1) People have accumulated greater wealth and are of higher standard of living such that they can afford travelling [greater affluence societies]
2) There has been a greater need for studying other cultures in other countries
3) The start of a long holiday with pay
4) Development of better transport facilities particularly in the air transport sector, this has made traveling fast and easy. In other words it can be said that accessibility and mobility have improved, including the increase in car ownership and affordable charter air flights to over seas
5) Cheaper transport services especially air transport
6) The development of attractive national parks in different parts of the world
7) Increasing number of active people
8) Greater awareness of location facilities and opportunities through education, advertising and media.
Negative impacts of tourism
1) Tourism leads to the environmental degradation like deforestation, erosion and pollution like water pollution, soil pollution and air pollution.
2) It leads to the spread of disease like AIDS etc.
3) Tourism needs higher capital and hence if there is low capital it cannot develop easily. This discourages the development of other economic sectors.
4) Tourism can accelerate terrorism in the tourist country the terrorists can come to the country as normal visitors.
5) It can also lead to the destruction of culture in the countries which are visited. This is because the local people emitating western culture like dressing, dancing.
6) It leads to the occurrence of conflicts in the country due to cultural destruction.
7) Emergence of traffic congestion due to the increase of people especially tourists.
Solution to the problems
1) The visitors should be taught the cultures of the natives in the country where they are visiting so that they cannot interfere with the people’s cultural aspects like dressing styles etc.
2) Reducing the number of visitors who visit the country so as to conserve the environment.
3) New areas should be opened up to reduce congestion in the existing touristic centers.
4)The government and international organizations should be active enough in supporting and governing the touristic activities in the country that are concerned.
5) There should be involvement of local community in order that the local people can benefit and help in conserving the tourism centers( tourists attractions) like wildlife conservation areas etc.
6) There should be integration of touristic activities with promotion of the environmental conditions through the eco tourism approach.
7) There are should be provision of education to the local people so as to understand the importance of tourism.
ECO- TOURISM (GREEN TOURISM)
It is the terminology which denotes ecological (eco) aspects combined with tourism activities. Eco-tourism sometimes is referred to as green tourism.
Eco tourism or green tourism can be defined as an integrated approach that involves carrying out tourism activities with minimum negative impacts on the natural environment.
This means that when tourism activities taking place should involve the promotion of environmental conservation.
In principle (Eco-tourism includes,)
1) Eco- tourism based on undisturbed natural environment and encourages undertaking of these activities in a non damaging manner.
2) Eco –tourism enhances the conservative attitude among people.
3) Eco-tourism should strive to improve local communities economically and socially at the same time conserving the natural environment. It means that it should be geared towards poverty alleviation in the local communities. For example creation of job opportunities.
4) It should promote positive interaction between the tourists themselves and the local communities because the benefits of the conservation areas are for all people.
5) It should promote awareness among the local people through education so that they can be able to know the importance and strategies of conserving the natural environment for touristic activities.
6) Eco- tourism should also emphasize the proper planning and monitoring of the touristic activities and conservation aspects.
Hence eco-tourism is a wider concept which involves several issues like traveling, business, economics, attitudes and behavior of local community, participation and related benefits, research and environmental education, natural environment and its management and other resources as well as other human activities.
Importance of eco-tourism to the local community
1) It leads to the empowerment of the local community since they themselves design, organize and control the activities in the conservation areas hence local profits, they get motivated and become more willing to take part in the conservation process.
2) It promotes the living standards and responsibility of the people.
The living standard promoted through income generation as some people are employed and ways from the conservation areas.
3) The cultural aspects and the environmental of the local community are preserved.
4) The relationship between the local community, the visitors and the conservationist is improved and hence the community lives in peace
5) It helps in the control of diseases like AIDS since the participation of the local community leads to the strict control of human behavior in the tourism areas, like games reserve areas, National parks.
6) Eco tourism promotes environmental awareness among the local people, through this people can know the potentials of their environment.
7) The local community gets new technology through the visitors who come to their conservation areas, some special training centers on nature conservation can be established in the local communities where people can benefit getting education and experience
8) It also helps in the reduction of water pollution as a result of the washed management
9) The market for locally produced goods like the Makende carvings of Tanzania can be improved
10) It stimulates the development of transport and communication system in the local community.
In general eco tourism in Tanzania can help in fighting against poverty (poverty alleviation)
TOURISM POLICY
Tourism policy refers to the statement or guidelines or plans of action established by an organ in authority like the government with the aim of influencing or directing or guiding tourism activities.
This plan of action contains some principles, goals, objectives and strategies that give guidance or direction on how to manage tourism so as to maximize benefits while encouraging sound social, cultural and environmental status.
The developed countries like the USA, Canada, Switzerland, South Africa and Nether lands have well established policies that govern tourism activities.
Importance of tourism policies
1) They guide or direct how to manage tourism by stimulating the objectives, principles and strategies to be used
2) The policies guide the evaluation process
3) They provide suggestions on what to be done in order to attain improvement in tourism in a particular country
4)They help in avoiding or reducing losses as far as tourism industry is concerned
5) They also insist on how to distribute the benefits obtained while focusing on the promotion of the life standard of the local people in a particular country
CASE STUDIES
TOURISM IN KENYA
The concept of tourism in Kenya.
Tourism is the second largest source of foreign exchange revenue following agriculture. The main tourist attractions are;-
-Mosque at Mombasa.
-The great rift valley.
-The coffee plantation at Thika.
-A view of mountain Kilimanjaro, across the border into Tanzania.
-Amboseli National park.
– Lake Nakuru National park.
Factors for the development of tourism in Kenya
1) It is magnificently endowed with a lot of fauna and flora, which are one of the attractions in the country.
2) It has very attractive scenery, climate and beaches .there are mountains like mount Kenya and lakes which attract the visitors.
3) The nearness to the coast has also facilitated easy movement of visitors in the country.
4) Kenya’s tourism industry is managed more efficiently than any other East African country.
5) There is a strong government support in tourism industry.
6) Relative political stability that has been prevailing in the country has proved a way for more visitors to come into the country.
7) Kenya has advertised its industry so widely in the world. There are promotional centers in England, Zambia, Switzerland, Germany and USA.
8) Industrial base and agricultural prosperity like tea plantations have encouraged development of tourism in Kenya
9) The knowledge of English language among Kenyans has attracted visitors from English speaking countries to come to the country since they can easily understand each other.
10) Development of transport system like roads and railways.
It is due to the external pressure due to the fuel change, currency fluctuations.
Attractions [honey pots] in Kenya
i) There are several national parks like
- Tsavo
- Meru
- Nairobi
- Amboseli
- Mountain Kenya
- Mount Elgon
- Lake Nakuru
- Marine national park
- Malindi
Historical and archeological national parks
- Sibiloi
- Oblonyo
- Sabuki
- And saiwa national park
ii) There are game reserves like
- Shimba hills
- Maasai Mara
- Marsabit
- Buffalo spring
These are having a wide variety of animals, plants and birds which attract visitors into the country
iii) Coastal attractions include fishing grounds, beaches, hotels and swimming areas
iv) Attractive scenery made of the Great rift valley, mountain Kenya, lakes and rivers etc
v) Developmental schemes like Galole and Mea-tebere, irrigation schemes, large scale tea plantations in Kericho and other areas
vi) Antiquities and historical sites like Fort Jesus in Mombasa, Gedi ruins in Malindi and others found at Voi and Kilagoni.
TOURISM IN TANZANIA
Tanzania with its unique features is one of the famous countries in the world of tourism, as touristic country has a bright future because of the following reasons;
1) The government has shown a great interest in promoting this industry for example the minister of national resources and tourism has been so much active in promoting this economic sector. The departments in the ministry have their own policies
2) There are promotional offices in different countries for advertising tourism in Tanzania for example promotional offices are in Germany [Frankfurt], Sweden [ Stockholm], north America [New York] and England [London]
3) There is a wide variety of tourists attractions
4) The permanent stability that has made the country maintain some degree of peace will continue attracting the visitors in the country. Visitors go to places where there is peace and avoid countries with conflicts like democratic republic of Congo, Rwanda and Burundi
5) – Local people are being involved and this will promote the status of tourism since there will be more participations and peace in the conservation areas. For example there are various communities which raised wildlife conservation projects which have been established in different parts of Tanzania like the Serengeti Regional Conservation Strategy [SRCS] and the Amani Nature Reserve [ANR] in Tanga that was established in 1997.
– Hence the number of tourists has been increasing year after year, for example in 1997 tourists visiting Tanzania increased from 326,188 in 1996 to 360,000 in 1997. This earned more than USD 393.4 millions, Also in 1999 the number of visitors increased to 627,325 earning 733.2 million USD. The increase was a result of efforts made by the government and private tour operators to advertise Tanzania’s touristic potentials in the recent and past years. (Source BOT journal 1997).
– Improvement of transport and communication problem like roads.
Tourist attractions [honey pots] in Tanzania
Attractive landscape made by the presence of mountains like Kilimanjaro which is snow caped, active volcanic mountains like OldonyoLengai [the mountain of God], large lakes like Tanganyika and Victoria, the remarkable Rift valley and The Indian ocean.
Large attractive network of national parks and Game reserves covering about 25% of the land area. There are national parks like Serengeti, Manyara, Tarangire, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Mikumi, Ruaha and Katavi.
There are pre historical sites like Olduvai George in the Serengeti plain which visitors get important information of the past, Bagamoyo, Kondoa-Irangi.
Shifting sand across the Ngorongoro plains is another tourist’s attraction. The sand shifts at 17meters per year.
There coastal attractions like mangrove plants, fishing grounds, coral reefs, beaches, hotels, islands like Mafia island and water for swimming.
Conducive climate in the mountains [cool] , warm coastal climate good for swimming.
The national language (Kiswahili) and other languages like French and Germany facilitates communication between the visitors and the local people.
Tanzanian cultural aspects like makonde carvings, maasai dressing style and the paintings at KondoaIrangi.
Improved accommodation in hotels and restaurants as well as lodges
Peaceful political atmosphere in the country attracts tourists.
Improvement in transport and communication like air, road and water
ADVANTAGES OF TOURISM IN TANZANIA AND KENYA
1) It led to the creation of employment opportunities
2) It has contributed to generation of the government revenue for example in 1997 Tanzania earned more than USD 393.4 million from 360,000 tourists and in 1999 it earned 733.2 million USD from 627,325 visitors.
3) It has promoted the living standard of the local people in the respective areas.
4) It has facilitated the fast development of science and technology as a result of the influence of the visitors who come to east Africa.
5) There has been promotion in the standard of the hotels and lodges in the touristic centers.
6) The countries have become well known worldwide through the visitors who come and leave the country with information back home.
7) The market for the locally produced goods has been promoted.
8) Tourism has encouraged positive attitude towards environmental conservation since people have realized the potential values of the natural environment.
9) 9) It has strengthened international relations with many other countries like Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, Canada, Japan, Norway, Britain etc.
10) It act as the source of foreign money exchange.
Disadvantages of Tourism in Tanzania and Kenya.
(1) Tourism leads to the environmental degradation like erosion, deforestation.
(2) It facilitate the emergence of terrorism since the terrorist can act as the normal tourists.
(3) It facilitate the spread of diseases especially sexual transmitted diseases (STD’s) like HIV/AIDs.
(4) It facilitate the occurrence of cultural destruction as the local people are attracted by the foreign culture like dressing styles, dancing styles and eating styles.
(5) It leads to the occurrence of conflict between the local people and Government due to the Government policy.